Another key player in Ford's game plan to offer EcoBoost technology on 90 percent of its nameplates by 2013 is the new 1.0-liter direct-injected turbo three-cylinder, which has now been confirmed for sale as an up-market option in the 2014 North American Fiesta. Already on sale in Europe (it's confirmed there for the Focus, C-Max, B-Max, and even the Fusion-sized Mondeo -- the Europeans are patient accelerators), the engine has collected quite the trophy-case of accolades (like Ward's Engine of the Year and 16 land-speed records). In the 2014 Ford Fiesta, it will produce 123 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque -- a scant 3 more horses, but a whopping 36 extra lb-ft of twist over the 2013 Ford Fiesta with the 1.6-liter I-4, which is what makes the new engine worth having.

Performance and fuel economy should both improve, with the latter eclipsing that of the current SFE model (EPA city/highway/combined ratings of 29/40/33 mpg), making the 1.0-liter Fiesta America's highest rated non-hybrid gasoline-powered vehicle. Interesting features abound (EcoBoost technology has netted Ford over 125 patents):

No balance shaft! Triples end up with a first-order rocking motion, because when the end cylinders fire, there's nothing to balance it out on the other end. Shafts can help, but their friction and mass work against the EcoBoost goal of fuel economy, so Ford has carefully un-balanced the flywheel at the rear and a pulley at the front of the engine to partially counteract and partially redirect this motion into one that can be fully absorbed by the engine mounts. Ford claims a remarkably smooth idle quality.

Timing belt in oil. Yes, this belt is made of a special new material that is tolerant of oil, and letting it circulate through oil reduces friction and noise dramatically. There is no recommended maintenance schedule for this belt.

8mm offset crankshaft. This is an old trick used by Honda and others: the cylinder-bore centerline is offset from the crank so that at top-dead-center when the combustion is ready to push down as hard as possible on the piston, it's not pushing directly on the crank bearing. The offset lets that work go into turning the crank.

Split cooling system. Separate thermostats control coolant flow to the iron block and to the aluminum head. This permits quicker warm-up of the engine and interior for improved comfort and efficiency. The siamesed cylinders have a tiny vertical slot between them for coolant flow.

Exhaust manifold in cylinder head. Like Honda, GM, and others, this trick also speeds warm-up of the engine and catalyst, and for turbo engines, the shorter exhaust runner length means less energy is lost before the hot gasses go to work on the turbine wheel so boost lag is minimized. The diminutive Continental turbo produces 20 psi peak boost at speeds of up to 248,000 rpm.

Most of the rest of the tech is pretty standard; direct-acting mechanical bucket-tappet valve actuation, high-overlap valve timing at low-speed/high-load conditions to improve scavenging and help build boost pressure, low-friction piston coating (graphite), and other friction-reducing measures. The iron block weighs just 52 pounds, and the fully-dressed engine is just 214, meaning the 1.0-liter Fiesta weighs about 450 pounds less than its (somewhat sluggish) Focus 1.0. No announcement has been made as to transmissions, but bet on a five-speed manual and a six-speed PowerShift. At launch, the engines will be sourced from Cologne, Germany.